. He was conscious of Mu'awiyah' s abilities in running

the administration of his territories and skill in statecraft. Therefore, he remained firm in his determination to accept the peace offer. Peace Treaty When Hasan saw the signed and stamped paper brought by Abdullah bin Amir from Mu'awiyah ., he objected to the condition that the caliphate would be restored to him after the demise of Mu'awiyah •. He said, "I strongly dislike the condition of my being chosen Caliph after Mu'awiyah, if I had a longing for the caliphate, why should I quit it now." Following this he sent for the scribe and asked him to write the peace document in the following words: "This peace document is being written between Hasan bin Ali bin Abu Talib and Mu'awiyah bin Abu Sufyan. Both of them History of Islam agree on the following: The office of the caliphate is handed over to Mu'awiyah bin Abu Sufyan.

The Muslims will be at liberty to elect a Caliph of their own choice after Mu'awiyah. The Muslims as a whole will remain safe from the hands and tongue of Mu'awiyah and he will treat all with grace. He will not stand in the way of Ali's relatives, and the supporter's of Hasan and Husain bin Ali will not suffer at his hands. Both these brothers and their relatives will be free to go anywhere and settle at any place. Mu'awiyah and his governors will not have the right to force them to carry out their orders by treating them as their subjects.

Mu'awiyah is bound to keep sending the tribute from Ahwaz to Hasan bin Ali, and the entire existing possessions of the public treasury of Kufah will be within the rights of Hasan bin Ali and he will be free to spend it at will. Mu'awiyah should prefer Banu Hashim in giving gifts and rewards." Some important people signed the document like Abdullah bin AlHarith bin Naufal and Amr bin Abu Salamah and others as witness and surety. When the document was placed before Mu'awiyah ~' he expressed his utmost joy over it. In the wake of this peace treaty, Mu'awiyah ~ raised his siege and left Qais bin Sa'd ~ free. Mu'awiyah ~ then reached the Grand Mosque of Kufah and took Bai'ah from Hasan ~ and the people of Kufah.

But Sa'd bin Qais ~ remained absent from the mosque. Mu'awiyah ~ also sent him a piece of signed and stamped paper asking him to put down his own conditions for taking Bai'ah, which would be totally accepted. He demanded security of his life and those of his supporters without asking for anything else. Mu'awiyah ~ conceded to it at once. Thereupon he and his comrades came and took Bai'ah.

Husain ~ refused to take Bai'ah. When Mu'awiyah ~ pressed for it, Hasan ~ told him not to insist, for his pride was dearer to him than taking Bai'ah. Mu'awiyah ~ kept silent. But Husain ~ took Bai'ah later. Amr bin AI-As ~ was present on that occasion.

He advised Mu'awiyah ~ to request Hasan ~ to deliver his address before the audience. Mu'awiyah ~ liked the advice and in response to his request Hasan ~ said addressing the people:"O Muslims! To me mischief is Second Half of the Rightly-Guided Caliphate highly detestable. I made peace with Mu'awiyah to save the Ummah of my grandfather from tribulations and disturbances and accepted him as commander and Caliph. Had the command and caliphate been his right, he has got it; if it was mine, I bestowed it on him." Prophecy of the Prophet ~ Following the process of establishing this peace treaty through all the stages, one can marvel at the accuracy of the prophecy of the Prophet ~ about Hasan ~: "This son of mine is a chief and Allah the Almighty will bring about peace between two groups of the Muslims through him." When Hasan ~ descended from the pulpit, Mu'awiyah ~ got up and said "Abu Muhammad!

You have shown such a boldness and bravery the like of which nobody has seen so far." This peace treaty was signed in 41 AH, only six months after the martyrdom of Ali~, that is why this year is named as 'Am-ul-Jamii'at. After the finalization of peace, Mu'awiyah ~ left Kufah for Damascus. He showed high regard for Hasan ~ while he remained alive and kept sending him the amount agreed upon. In the wake of Mu'awiyah's departure from Kufah, the people indulged in complaining against sending tribute to Hasan ~ from the Ahwaz province. Thereupon Hasan ~ assembled the people and said addressing them: "O the people of Iraq!

I have repeatedly forgiven you. You martyred my father, plundered my house, and injured me with your lance. You keep in mind the two kinds of persons killed, one killed in Siffin and another one killed demanding revenge for those killed in Naharwan. What Mu'awiyah has done with you is not anything honorable for you and this is quite justified. Thus, if you agree to die, I am ready to abrogate the peace treaty and seek justice through the sword.

But, in case you hold your lives dear, I shall stick to this peace treaty." Hearing this they pressed him to keep the peace treaty. Since he was well aware of their ignorance and lack of courage, he corrected the Kufis by simply administering a threat. Mu'awiyah ~ had now risen as the unchallenged leader and Caliph of Islam. Even Sa'd bin Abu W aqqas ~ who had relieved himself of all the affairs of life and was History of Islam passing his days grazing his camels and goats and worshiping Allah in a state of seclusion, had also taken Bai'ah at the hand of Mu'awiyah ~- In short, none was there to hold himself back from taking Bai'ah sooner or later. A few days after the peace treaty was signed, Hasan ~ left Kufah and proceeded to Al-Madinah along with his relatives.

The people of Kufah escorted him for some distance. From AlMadinah he went nowhere to settle. Concocted Story of poisoning He died in 50 or 51 AH. It is said that his wife Ju'dah bint Al-Ash'ath poisoned him. However, Hasan ~ and Husain~ could not detect the culprit, so how can she be blamed for this event?

On the eve of his death, Hasan ~ called Husain ~ and said, "The caliphate reached Ali after the Prophet :Ji and swords were drawn but the issue remained unsettled. I have now come to know it very well that Prophethood and caliphate cannot remain combined in our family. I am afraid the ignorant of Kufah will try to take you out of this city but you should foil their attempt. I had once requested Aishah to allow me to be buried near the Prophet~- She had then agreed. Maybe, she will refuse permission now.

However, approach her for this purpose but without insistence." Following this advice Husain~ contacted Aishah ~ immediately after the demise of Hasan ~ and sought permission for his brother's burial and she gave her consent. But Marwan stood in the way. Husain ~ and his comrades proceeded towards him armed with their weapons but Abu Hurairah ~ intervened to save the situation. Hasan~ was then laid to rest beside his mother, Fatimah~. Nine sons and six daughters survived him.

A Glance at Hasan's Caliphate Some historians are reluctant to accept the six-month caliphate of Hasan ~ as a part of the Rightly-Guided Caliphate on the plea of its being short-lived and incomplete. However, this viewpoint appears to be untenable. Should this argument be considered as acceptable, Ali's caliphate will also have to be erased from the hierarchy of the Righteous Caliphs, which is not justified. The shortness of his tenure is also not a valid reason. If the caliphate of Hasan~ is carefully Second Half of the Rightly-Guided Caliphate taken into consideration, it is an important part of the Rightly-Guided Caliphate.

Even though the caliphate of Hasan ~ is devoid of victories and cries of battles, it performed such a remarkable and magnificent service to the world of Islam and its unity that a caliphate spreading over scores of years and with a hundred victories could not have accomplished. In respect of the marvelous role played by him in bringing unity to the two warring groups of the Muslim Ummah, his caliphate is unforgettable. He put an end to the enmity of a decade in a stroke. He destroyed the conspiracies and mischief of the hypocrites and Jews in the garb of Muslims developed through a decade and grown strong and formidable. In this way he paved the way for future victories and the swords of the Muslim Ummah turned once again towards the enemies of Islam.

He certainly surpassed the bravery of a great warrior with many victories when taking Bai'ah at the hand of Mu'awiyah ~' he said: "Had the command and caliphate been his right, he has got it; if it was mine, I bestowed it on him." This remarkable event will serve to the Last Day as a guiding light for the Muslim Ummah to keep to the right path. This glittering example stands to this day as a lighthouse in the wild and fathomless dark ocean. Hasan ~ had under his command forty thousand fighters. They might have been unsteady, ignorant and impertinent, but all of them had taken the oath of fighting against Mu'awiyah ~ to the last drop of their blood. In such a situation it was a must for a young man of 37, an experienced general and the son of a brave father to fight against his father's rival.

Hasan ~ knew it well that he, being the darling of the Prophet ;Ji, would be able in a short period, to turn the tide of the Companions and the world of Islam in his favor. Few Sentences about the Guided Caliphate The main difference between the Rightly-Guided Caliphate and that of Banu Umayyah and others lies in the fact that every Caliph of the Guided Caliphate was elected by a team of the men of sound judgment. Even the nominated Caliph had the approval and support of the majority of judicious persons. And such a nomination or election had nothing to do with ancestral rights. But with the end of History of Islam this era ended this basic principle.

During the Rightly-Guided Caliphate, the Muslim Ummah as a whole had every right to know about the state of affairs, to raise objections and to advance its own reasons and opinions, but this practice was abolished during the later caliphates. During the Rightly-Guided Caliphate, the Caliphs practiced the utmost simplicity with regard to their clothes, dwellings, food, and mounts. They lived in the company of the common people and had no air of superiority nor demanded any preferential treatment from the public. During the Rightly-Guided Caliphate, the Caliph was not allowed to spend even a penny from the public treasury on himself or friends and relatives. Afterwards, they became the custodians of the treasury and nobody could raise an objection against their lavish spending.

The Rightly-Guided Caliphs were all from among the exalted Companions and had the honor of joining the blessed company of the Prophet ::i. During the latter caliphates there was none from the Companions except Mu'awiyah ~ and Abdullah bin Zubair ~JB. The Righteous Caliphs belonged to the blessed category who had been given the good news of going to Paradise during their lifetime, afterwards there was none from this blessed and exclusive group. They were those who showed affection to the Muslims like their own children and did not treat them like their slaves. But later caliphates rose in the pattern of Caesar and Chosroes.

The Rightly-Guided Caliphs were not despotic. In religious matters too they could not act on their own. Whenever any doubt or difference raised its head, they would seek advice from the distinguished Companions and acted according to the example set by the Prophet ::i. In case any of their decisions proved wrong at a later stage, they put them right when the mistake was brought to their knowledge. The fundamental principle governing their policies and programs, in religious and temporal matters, rose from the Divine law.

Enforcement of Divine injunctions and establishing peace and order were some of the duties, which were essentially expected of them. Their people had full freedom of thought and action. Second Half of the Rightly-Guided Caliphate Everybody had as his birthright, the right to ask for an explanation from the Caliph even in matters small and unimportant. A unique feature of the caliphate was that the Caliph needed no force to enforce his laws because everyone was ready and eager to follow the laws on his own. It proves beyond doubt that their caliphates were based on love and faith and not on pressure and atrocities.

During the latter caliphates, the task of enforcement of Divine laws were left to the religious scholars and Qad!s (court judges) and men with religious training were appointed to address the people and lead them in prayer. However, the caliphs had an army and the finance in their hands to rule according to their wishes. Gradually their caliphates changed into despotic regimes. Thus fear, terror, excesses and atrocities spread throughout the land and public freedom was forfeited. The Rightly-Guided Caliphs gave priority to public welfare.

Upholding the Word of Allah and enforcement of the Divine injunctions were the two things they were very eager to execute, but they had no lust for territorial aggrandizement. It was not their practice to store collections and spoils of battles in the public treasury; they distributed everything among the Muslims or spent it on Muslim welfare works. They were in the habit of sweeping up the public treasury after spending all the possessions on public projects and welfare schemes. But the latter caliphate worked on contrary lines. The Rightly-Guided Caliphs would perform Hajj without fail, besides performing Hajj, they took the opportunity to fulfill their duties to the people and also gave them a forum for redressing their problems.

They managed to meet people from the various Muslim territories, heard their complaints and examined the merits and demerits of the related governors and mitigated their sufferings. In case they were preoccupied with some urgent work in the capital, they sent their substitute to do the job but the latter caliphates deviated from this practice. The Rightly-Guided Caliphs led prayers and addressed the congregations in the Grand Mosque of the capital. Later on only the caliphs from Banu Urnayyah maintained this practice. History of Islam During the Rightly-Guided Caliphates there was no trace of factionalism and they solved their differences, if any, in the light of the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of the Prophet of Allah.

The Rightly-Guided Caliphates had no consideration for relations, friendship, nationality and region in comparison with religion and Shari'at. When we examine their methods of doing things, we find the least care and almost no concession even for close relatives like father, brother or son. Freedom of expression was practiced to such an extent that an ordinary person had the courage to interrupt a caliph during his address from the pulpit. But this freedom was strangled later on. They never took themselves as kings but servants of the Muslims.

They served the Muslims like their shepherd and watchmen and looked after their welfare. But the slightest mistake or doubt about the speech and action of the caliphs attracted severe criticism from the public. The first volume, which is coming to a close, contains an abridged history of the Rightly-Guided Caliphate. Ten Muslims from among the Companions had been given glad tidings of Paradise by the Prophet ~ even during their lifetime. They are known as 'Ashrah Mubasshirah (the Blessed Ten).

Among them are Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, Ali, Abdur-Rahman bin Auf, Talhah, Zubair, Sa'd bin Waqqas, Abu Ubaidah bin Al-Jarrah and Saeed bin Zaidi$,. All but the last one have found mention in some chapter of our account. So a few lines about Saeed bin Zaid ~ seem proper and relevant. Saeed bin laid ~ He was cousin and brother-in-law of Umar ~ -His pedigree is like this: Saeed bin Zaid bin Amr bin Nufail bin Abdullah bin Qart bin Rabah bin Adi. He joined the Prophet ?'i in all the battles except the battle of Badr.

But the Prophet~ gave him a share from the booty of Badr and counted him among the Companions of Badr. He died in 51 AH, at the age of 72. Once a woman lodged a complaint against him in regard to a piece of land. He cursed her with blindness in case she was a liar. She turned blind and fell into a well and died.

Once he heard some unkind words Second Half of the Rightly-Guided Caliphate against Ali ~ in the Grand Mosque of Kufah and remarked, "Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, Ali, Talhah, Zubair, Abu Ubaidah, Sa'd bin Abu Waqqas, Abdur-Rahman bin Auf, these nine are among the Blessed Ten." "Who is the tenth one?" the person inquired. But Saeed~ kept silent, on repeated insistence, he revealed, "I am the tenth one." THEEND [FIRST VOLUME]